Earlier today, someone cleverly named "Anon" left the following comment on my recent post Things I’d Love to See in My Lifetime.
Because of their brief lifespans, too much emphasis on companion animals isn’t good for a society or an individual. If Snickers is already five, he’ll be dead in about seven years anyway.
My first thought was "that was mean" but, then of course, that may have been the point. Luckily, I can’t be baited quite that easily. My second thought was "oh my god, the last five years of my life have been so great because of Snickers. If that continues for another 5, 7, 10 or 12 years, I will be so grateful!!!!"
I was recently drafting an entry about HSUS and PETA and their drive to wipe out companion animals altogether, but when I read this comment I decided to have a discussion about the benefits of companion animals first.
I’m sure there is a ton of research that I could look up, quote and link to about therapy dogs, animal assisted activities, search and rescue dogs, bomb and drug sniffing dogs, cancer sniffing dogs, service dogs for the blind and disabled, police dogs, etc. I may create a page on the site for that later, but for now, let’s talk about the benefits to ourselves, our families and society that we have personally experienced from having our pets in our lives.
I’ll start. 🙂
- Animals create community. Snickers pulled me out into my neighborhood in a way that hadn’t happened previously. I connected with more people and made some incredible friends.
- I spend MUCH more time outside and active than I did before having Snickers.
- I’ve become a more emotionally engaged and empathetic person because of my relationship with Snickers.
- I’ve become a better listener and communicator (with humans) because of the effort I’ve put into learning to communicate well with my pets.
- I’ve helped brighten the day of numerous developmentally challenged children and adults, because Snickers needed a job and took me to places I never would have visited without him.
So, who wants to go next?
Wow! My dogs have totally changed my life. I know so many of my neighbors–those with dogs and those who enjoy dogs.
I love elderly people who love my dogs. It is so much fun.
I wish I could chat more, but I am at work.
One more thing. I worry so much about my dogs dying. I am so so attached to them emotionally. They really are my children and my best friends.
My dogs have changed my life also. I worry too that I will go off the deep end emotionally when Snickers eventually leaves me. He is very, very special to me – not my child (got a real one of those) but certainly a valued friend and family member.
My dog makes me, my family, friends, neighbors and total strangers smile and laugh every single day. This alone would make living with a companion dog worthwhile. Luckily for me, he does so much more than that. My dog has improved my quality of life.
– Pets bring people together. I have made new, dear friends that I would not have if I had not been out walking my dog. My neighbors are no longer strangers to me.
– Caring about something or someone outside of yourself can have positive effects in how you care for yourself. I have a very active, athletic dog. Increasing his exercise for his health and happiness meant increasing my exercise. I am healthier than I would have been. I feel better, physically. Feeling good makes me happier. In caring for him, I ended up taking better care of myself.
– I lost over 20 lbs. Before I adopted my dog I weighed 147 lbs. After a few months of running up and down the stairs to get him out to potty and long walks to exercise and socialize him, I weighed 126 lbs. I have kept the weight off with his help.
– In learning how to choose a healthy diet for my dog I became inspired to eat healthier.
– I have become a more patient person. Patience is one of the key ingredients to raising a puppy well. Puppies will test your patience every day, without meaning to. This can be great motivation for becoming more patient.
– I was very shy growing up. It was a dog who pulled me out of my shell and helped me to socialize. He made it easier for me to meet new people. He gave me something I felt confident about to talk about. He was a great ice breaker.
Companion animals also help reduce stress and blood pressure. Many people stop and take those important quiet moments in a given day while petting their animals and showing them love, relieved that those companions don’t need them to do dishes or tell them the news or justify the latest energy bill.
Active pets make for active owners – as stated previously. You just end up in better shape as you go out with your companion and see to your companion’s need for exercise and fun. It’s overall more interesting, more enjoyable and healthier.
Having a companion animal can improve things like depression, empty nest syndrome or loneliness. A companion animal gives you unconditional love and attention.
Granted, companion animals have a potentially shorter lifespan than a human – that simply means that the time they spend with you is that much more precious and they are never more beautiful, more alive, than this very brief time they have with you. As a result, you’re more beautiful and more alive because of that special relationship they share with you.
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prajantr said
I think that may be the most beautiful way I’ve ever heard/seen this sentiment expressed. Thank you!
My first thought is why would someone write something so negative about a dog and why do they feel that way? It’s sad, actually. Having a dog enriches your life and I can’t see how anything but good can come from it, for both owner and dog. My sweet puppy girl has brought more to my life than I could have ever imagined.
Lisa – Too bad I never got a chance to meet you or your pup while I was in Indiana. Thanks for your input!
Besides all those practical reasons like guarding, harding, hunting or catching mice, there have been strong reasons why we kept dogs & cats as domestic animals for such a long long time even though we can not eat them. And those are so much comfort and unconditional love that they are capable to give us.
Without doubt, human beings are the animals of society, we are supposed to live as a part of a group. However, we can be easily lost, isolated and stressed in this highly modernized, structured and complicated society. That is why we need dogs and cats as companions, many of us need them to keep our mental balance(hehe, that’s definitely me!).
Dogs and cats are no longer wild animals though they still have wild instincts. Instead, they have become a part of our culture because we have bred them to fit our needs for thousands of years.
On the other hand I think I do understand why some organizations like PETA want to wipe out entire domestic animals including pets as they believe all animals have rights to live their lives freely, which makes a sense to me. I am against having so-called exotic pets because I believe wild animals should belong to the nature. Also so many abuses againt animals have been going on sadly.
However, again dogs and cats are no longer wild animals and they are more like a part of our culture. And I see dogs and cats as half humans, at least, because we have bred them to be so similar to us as good companions, consciously and unconsciouly we have done lots of selective breedings.
Yes, of course, I do know we are still different species biologically, yet I cannot help thinking like they are so close to us.
Some might say that we have also bred our cattles and chickens to fit our needs, but those needs are basically for our food sources and the reasons we have kept dogs and cats are very different.
In highly modernized societies like ours, we need dogs and cats more than ever. Think about it, once upon a time, we all lived in a cave as a large family, but now even keeping a small family is so difficult and communicating with someone far away by internet is easier than with some real people just next to us. This strange modern society and culture give us so much stress and we need dogs and cats to save us from that.
But that also means we do have full resposibility for their well-beings!
That is something we have to remind ourselves all the times if we are against the ideas of PETA and HSUS.
Please accept my apologies for the inartful way I phrased my comment. I wasn’t trying to be mean at all, but I see my language was far too blunt, and I’m certainly sorry for that.
I’m a now 50-year-old woman, and I once poured all my life into my pet dachshund. Thought of him as my baby, hand-cooked his dinners, if there had been such a thing as blogs back then, I’d have set one up for him. 🙂 I was dependent on my dog–when I wanted to socialize, I convinced myself I had to have him with me. He was my crutch, but I called him my company. I assigned human emotion to him, felt he understood me, and then one day I looked at him and realized that he was, after all, an animal.
I regret I spent all those years locked up in myself, thinking that the companionship of a dog, however sweet he was, was enough for me or for any person. I re-married; I took up painting; my new husband and I began farming. These are real things. Don’t spend too much time leaning on your dog. The world is too big, and life is far too short. 🙂
Reading the story of you and your dachshund makes me understand the tone of your comment more clearly. Thank you for explaining.
The pain of losing a beloved pet is not enough to make me avoid loving and being loved by my animals. They bring something very special to my life that wouldn’t exist without them. My animals have connected me more to society, not less. I do not, however, anthropomorphize Snickers, use him as a crutch or as a replacement for human relationships. I don’t believe his companionship is all I need, although I certainly value what his companionship adds to my life.
I have known people who were emotionally dependent on their animals and emotionally unavailable for human relationships. It definitely happens, as it did in your case. That is definitely NOT the kind of human/animal relationship I encourage and support.
Also, I must disagree that dogs and cats are different from other animals. If you’ve ever lived on a farm, you know all the animals are brimming with personality. Our free-range chickens are at least as clever and personable as any dog. They were raised among people, and they come up to the doors, peer in the windows, and cluck for us to come outside for company; just company, as their food is already outside with them. Cows and horses, too. Truly kind and lovely animals, curious and friendly, just the same as cats and dogs. I think it’s very sad that we human simply dismiss these creatures as ‘less than’ dogs and cats, just because we want to devalue them in order to eat them.
Not sure you are refering to my comment or not, but I do not think other animals are lower beings than dogs or cats. That’s why I do not consume much meat or meat product now even I am not a 100% vegan. I do not eat eggs everyday but If I eat, I choose free-range ones in order to support a humane way to treat chickins. The goal of PETA is to set all animals free from exploitations by humans. I am not extreme as them, but stil I believe we should cut down our consumptions of animal related products. We really do not need to have them that much as we have been already so overweight.
I believe all animals have some sort of feelings & emotions, and they do have rights to co-exist on this planet.
However, the difference of dogs & cats and farm animals are the our intentions to keep them. Farm animals are for mainly food sources, and dogs & cats are for companionships.
So I think the best things we can do the former is, at least, to cut down human consumption and the humane way to raise & treat them. And the best thing we can do for the latter is to secure their well-beings.
I’m sure some people disagree with this,
but probably this is the realistic compromise, I guess.
I was formulating a response regarding the difference between companion animals and other animals that coexist with and are used by our society, but when I read blue’s response I realized he pretty much covered it. Companion animals – dogs especially – have been on an evolutionary path intertwined with humans for thousands of years. I agree that other animals (probably ALL conscious life forms) have feelings and personality to some degree. Only our companion animals have been evolving in a symbiotic relationship with us though.
I’d strongly, but respectfully disagree, companion animals by definition aren’t just animals that have the longest history being taken in as human companions… but any animals that beings that bring humans company, provide psychological or physical support, and/or amusement while not taking advantage of the relationship and remaining faithful to the partnership. That isn’t just a dog or cat, even historically speaking. Having taken on Animals and Society (excellent journal by the same name incidentally) as one of my areas of interest in my program of study… historically speaking farm animals such as the horse or ox would have been involved in a more physical symbiotic relationship than a cat or dog of similar eras. Royalty often kept all sorts of animals for entertainment and companionship purposes other than cats or dogs. Although cats and dogs were around, historically the majority lived outdoors and survived on catching their own food or scavenging, they provided vermin control but weren’t necessarily taken care of like a horse or oxen would be.
Additionally, I think it’s socially dangerous and leaves room for copious amounts of unfair legislative and political practices to classify companion animals in such a narrow light simply because of historical representations as the most important relationships formed with humans. Not only have all sorts of relationships with all sorts of animals evolved over time (especially horses, mules, oxen) but continuing to place higher importance on certain relationships over others in today’s modern society only perpetuates a hierarchy of animal importance in a humans life. And who are we to judge what is an appropriate companion animal to a person in the year 2009, just because the most reported (quite possibly because of popularity and the social status of those owning such animals over time) companion animals are currently cats and dogs?
Truly, other animals have developed similar symbiotic bonds historically speaking. But dogs and cats (and later horses) gained in popularity with royalty in many countries early on, their lineage can be traced to show such an influx. Surely this played a crucial role in defining ‘companion animal’ by your definition… but just because it’s popular, doesn’t mean it’s correct nor as inclusive as it should be.
K, I absolutely respect your opinion and can understand where you’re coming from. Honestly, I think I like my idea of what defines a companion animal because it is comfortable for me. 😛 I was a vegetarian for moral reasons for 12 years (but not vegan). I started eating meat again about 10 years ago because I was not a healthy vegetarian (laziness on my part) and my physician wanted me to eat more protein. Also, the more broad the definition, the more complicated the issues of animal welfare become in my mind. It’s such a slippery slope that it makes my brain hurt!
You’re absolutely right… my definition of “companion animal” was too narrow.
What a dickish comment. But I immediately digress…
Dogs, and all other pets really, but dog especially have been a boon to people for ages. As blue mentioned above, the reasons used to be a lot more practical. In some cases, as in the therapy work Snick does, practicality does still play a large part.
But there is something indefinable and real and important that connects a dog to humans. I know I enjoy Sumi and others’ dogs tremendously. They comfort me, make me laugh, make me ponder the interconnectedness of life. In short, they can only enhance what is already an aware and unique existence.
Some people just do not connect with animals, at all. And that’s fine. But I think the majority of people feel the opposite.
There is so much that Sushi has enriched my life, where can I begin?
Well, for starters, I never would have “met” Jenna & Snickers! Actually, Sushi has brought me out of my shell. I am a shy person. With Sushi, there was always a conversation starter! Through him, I have met SO many people, made wonderful new friends, been involved in so many dog and pet-related things (which is what I’d always wanted to do since I was a kid). I have learned to be more confident, to question things when my gut is telling me to do so. I get out a lot more, whether I feel like it or not, lol. Sushi likes to test me every now and then, just to keep me on my toes. We have worked through a lot together, he is my best friend. We may think we get the dog we want, but we actually get the dog we need.
Bonnie & Sushi
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In response to Anon above, I would agree that all animals have personality and working active minds, as well as emotion… just because someone isn’t vegan doesn’t mean they don’t believe that (in response to making excuses so we can eat certain animals without guilt). Although it is often hard for those who live a vegan lifestyle (in my experience) to understand there are many ways of approaching love and caring for animals and thinking about their well being. It’s good to keep in mind that everyone has different ways of approaching all sorts of things, none of them wrong… just different. I don’t think Jenna nor anyone else thinks other animals are ‘less’ than dogs or cats (although maybe you do and that’s fine also!). I think the focus of this discussion was intended to be on what any companion animal brings to your life… and who said that was limited to dogs and cats? I know plenty of people who have enriched lives because of pigs, birds, chickens (one of my best pals growing up was a large hen), horses, etc.
Personally, the first thing that came to mind when I read Jenna’s request is that my dogs have provided a holistic treatment strategy for my debilitating panic disorder and agoraphobia. Although it was not the reason I got Freyja (our first dog), I began experiencing panic attacks shortly after we decided to adopt her. She not only helped me emotionally through the first bad bout of PTSD, physically she required me to get up with her and mentally (because she was a puppy at the time) she challenged me on a daily basis and helped me focus on being communicative, consistent and patient! She could sense when I was struggling and would sit quietly for hours with me (as a young terrier pup!) on my chest, and I used her to help focus my breathing (keeping mine in time with hers as she slept) to work on controlling the panic and anxiety. To this day, she snuggles up on my chest right over my heart when I’m having a bad day, her love and energy allow me to take a fraction of the medications I’d originally been prescribed to help to control the panic disorder.
Tika has proven to be my emotional barometer and what I truly feel is my ‘soul dog’, I don’t care how cheesy that even sounds… although it is a bit cheesy. We got her after my first battle with PTSD went into remission for awhile and we felt we were in a good place to adopt a second dog and companion for Freyja (which was our plan all along, but instead of getting them around the same time as we’d originally planned we waited a bit before finding Tika). In the past year or so, we began to recognize her behavior changes before I have a panic attack, before any symptoms I normally feel and have been taught to recognize so that I can take medication (irregular heart beat, shortness of breath, foggy thinking). Because I’ve recognized it I am able to take necessary medications early on, and in much smaller doses than I would if I waited longer to take them to prevent the attacks from being paralyzing. She came to us a very anxious girl and in helping her navigate the overtly scary world she lives in (she was a puppy mill dog for 6 years, hadn’t really experienced much normalcy, if any, during that time) I not only am able to empathize with her and what her limits are, but it’s helped me think about both of our fears and anxieties in a different light. In working hard to find creative, holistic and proactive solutions for for her, I’ve actually found many for myself and we continue to work through our issues together.
Bella has presented many challenges to us that we hadn’t really dealt with before. It’s caused me to become more proactive when people come into the home or when we are out on walks in asking people to be respectful of her personal space (we now take all three with us out in public, on campus, to gatherings and dog parks). She trusts in me after months of building a relationship with her to take her all over the place and into all sorts of situations safely. I can’t begin to explain to someone who has not gained the trust of a dog like Bella or Tika, what it feels like to have them let you into their worlds and lives and trust you and love you unconditionally. In some ways I feel my relationship with them is more intimate than the one I have with Freyja who came to us as a runaway puppy in a shelter and is a more ‘typical’ American mutt completely trusting of everyone, exuberantly affectionate toward everyone and full of piss and vinegar. There is no difference in the love, but having had to earn their trust in a much different way than most dogs is infinitely rewarding.
I have earned awards for my leadership skills in national, regional and campus programs. I’ve always been told I have strong and natural leadership ability. But not until I had three dogs sharing my life who have three very distinct sets of needs and attributes did I ever truly begin to learn some of the most important characteristics of leadership. My dogs continue to teach me true patience, respect, communication, innovative thought, and although not required for leaders… the meaning of unconditional love. They like to remind me daily that I have a lot to learn and a long way to go. 🙂
I too have also been much more active and spend a lot more time outdoors with three dogs who need daily exercise and stimulation! I have gotten involved in some rescue and interest organizations I didn’t even know existed before these three girls. These organizations have changed the way I think about certain things and have caused me to be an activist about issues in my everyday conversations with people in my life! Our youngest is almost 2, the other two are probably around 7 or 8. I would feel completely honored if I am able to share even another year with any of them, let alone 5, 8, 10, 15. I can’t remember how empty my life was before them, thankfully. 🙂
We had pretty immediate connections with both of our Shibas — Eric and Kimiko, and find that they are pretty intuitive in terms of picking up on feelings, and will often sense our need for them to be close. They have also bonded very closely with both of us, and are happiest when they are with the “pack members”.
We lost our son just over a year ago, and I honestly don’t know how we would have made it without our 2 dogs. They provided comfort to us, and got us up and out of the house, and helped prevent extended bouts of depression through the last 15 months. For someone to feel that this kind of companionship has little value for either us or the dogs, seems ridiculous — could this be someone who has never had a dog?
I grew up on a farm with all kinds of animals – all of whom lived outside and were working animals. From the time I left home until a couple of years ago, I didn’t have any pets or animals. I got my first dog as an adult because I felt like I had withdrawn from people and human relationships and closed myself off, and I needed someone/thing to wake my heart back up. My little guy accomplished that in about 2 seconds, and my heart gets bigger every day.
Like everyone else, it has made me more social, more active, and more open to strangers. If you have a Shiba – let alone TWO – you have to get used to talking to strangers.
But, the biggest thing they’ve done is make me a better, calmer, more empathetic, more patient, and more loving person. I strive to be as good a friend as my pups are. If everyone had something/someone who made them want to be a better person, our world would be a vastly different place.
I lost Blade two months shy of his 6th birthday and he impacted my life so much the 5y10m he was in my life. Granted I wasn’t sure I would make it after losing him because he was my soulmate in canine form. It’s been rough not having him in my life the last 18 months.
The most important thing I learned was patience. A virtue that mother has been trying to teach me for 30+ years. He helped me change people’s perceptions of his breed, Rottweiler. Because of him, I joined the animal rescue and transport world to help other dogs get to their furever homes and have a spoiled life like him. I tried new activities with him by my side. When my grandfather died during Hurricane Charley, Blade licked the tears off of my face. My ex-husband (there is a reason he’s an ex) went out with his buddies. When I lost a friend to ovarian cancer, Blade was there to comfort me. And when my marriage was dissolving, Blade gave me the strength to get through it and achieve the freedom we both needed for the previous 5 years. Whenever I had a stressful or rough day at work, the sight of his Rottie Butt Dance once I got home melted all the problems away. He also taught me to find joy in the simplest of things. Sometimes all you need is the sun, a big yard and a friend to chase.
Every day that passes without him, I miss him more. But I’m also thankful that he chose me to be in his life.
“Blade licked the tears off of my face. My ex-husband (there is a reason he’s an ex) went out with his buddies. When I lost a friend to ovarian cancer, Blade was there to comfort me. And when my marriage was dissolving, Blade gave me the strength to get through it and achieve the freedom we both needed for the previous 5 years. Whenever I had a stressful or rough day at work, the sight of his Rottie Butt Dance once I got home melted all the problems away. He also taught me to find joy in the simplest of things. Sometimes all you need is the sun, a big yard and a friend to chase.”
But don’t you think it’s possible that you’re projecting your own emotions onto your dog as a coping mechanism and imagining a reciprocity of feeling that isn’t really there?
“But don’t you think it’s possible that you’re projecting your own emotions onto your dog as a coping mechanism and imagining a reciprocity of feeling that isn’t really there?”
It would be silly say that some anthropomorphizing of animals doesn’t go on, but I think it’s equally silly to think that it’s impossible or unlikely that her dog Blade couldn’t sense her grief and react to it.
Really, we’re having a discussion akin to the explorations of faith people often have- there are things we cannot see and know for sure, but we sense within ourselves. It’s called the Unknowable in Norse mythology.
I see nothing wrong with taking solace in animals, either, so long as that is not a person’s only source of comfort. We need the balance and perspective other people can provide, too.
“I see nothing wrong with taking solace in animals, either, so long as that is not a person’s only source of comfort. We need the balance and perspective other people can provide, too.”
Exactly. And sometimes a person that needs solace needs the non-judgmental comfort that an animal can provide.
No I don’t think I am. Blade (and any animal for that matter) can sense emotions of humans and react to them. He knew when I was sad, even if there were no tears. He knew when to come over and just nuzzle. When I was happy, he did more of the Rottie Butt Dance.
I do think that not everyone has the same sort of relationship with their dog. I’ve met other people that have had the same bonding with their “heart dog” as I did with Blade. And then there are others that just see them as dogs.
Whenever I read about your relationship with Blade, I can feel your pain. I know you must miss him sooo much.
I do. Every day that passes I miss him more. The pain never leaves and hasn’t dulled quite yet.
My dogs mean the world to me and are always there to provide emotional support. They give me support in ways that no person can provide and I also know that my dogs do not judge me in any way and are always on my side. They are extremely sensitive to my feelings and emotions and they know me better than anyone else in the world. They are protective of me and I can feel safe falling asleep at night because I know that my dogs are always “on guard” and would do anything for me (of course, if someone actually broke-in my house, I would protect the dogs!). BUG never wants to leave my side and will even sit in my chair outside, on a hot summer day, and pant, refusing to be in the house when I’m outside.
They also remind me of the importance of daily exercise, fresh air and sunshine and the necessity of play time. BUG and Cinnamon also like to “meditate” and just sit at a window or on the patio and watch the world. My dogs help show me what a “balanced” life looks like and they remind me of what is truly important. Cinnamon is happy just to SEE a frog!
I know that when the time comes, nothing will ever replace these dogs (especially BUG) who have been with me through so much and who only want me to be happy and love them. Although they do have short life spans, I wouldn’t trade those years with them for ANYTHING in the world! I’ve always had close relationships with my dogs and I’m very thankful for all of the dogs I’ve gotten to spend time with; my first and best play “friend” as a child was my poodle!
And just yesterday, Cinnamon may have kept me from having a close-call with a BIG alligator… I was on my second “dog walk” of the day and started to walk Cinnamon over to the area -where 15 minutes later the alligator was found on the sidewalk- but he absolutely refused to stay on that side of the street and instead (and unusually, since he normally begs to walk the other direction) went back into our part of the neighborhood and took us away from the alligator and back home!!! I’m sure he smelled/sensed something (it was a BIG alligator, after all) and he kept us safe (I’m glad I “listened” to him and let him choose the walk direction!)…
I’m just grateful for the time that I do have with my dogs and for their support and love. And I hope I can give back to them what they give to me.
🙂 Forgive me again; I’m terrible at trying to illustrate my points, but here’s a try:
Do you keep your dogs in a fence?
Anon,
When you woke up and realized your dog was just a dog, what happened to the dog? How did the dog’s no longer being the center of your universe impact the dog?
Bonnie – Your experiences are similar to mine. I honestly feel like the world around me has been positively impacted by the changes Snickers has brought to my life. There is no way, in my opinion, that an argument can be made against the benefits companion animals bring to a society.
K – Yes, the focus of the discussion was intended to be on what any companion animals bring to our lives and, by extension, to society in general. Thank you so much for sharing your experiences with your dogs. Having spent a day and night with Bella while she was on her way to you, I’m especially happy to hear what progress you two have made.
Have you read "Animals in Translation" by Temple Grandin? I read about halfway through it a year or so ago. I need to pull it out, restart and finish it.
Janice – Having only "met" you recently on Twitter, I didn’t know about your son. I’m so sorry to hear that. I’m glad Eric and Kimiko have been able to provide comfort and companionship to you both during such a difficult time.
Hocomo – I’m so glad I’m getting to know you… it seems we have a lot in common. I’m looking forward to October!
Kelly – Yikes! Give Cin a big kiss for that. I hope to see you and the pooches soon after you get moved back!
Anon – I’m not sure I understand the question. I don’t keep my dogs in a fence. My dogs live indoors with me.
Dear Monica–He seems much happier now. We have a very large back yard, fenced in, and he and our other two dogs (a pair of girl dachshunds, from a rescue group) live in their dog house out there. He digs for ground moles all. day. long. 🙂 My yard is egregious, but we let it go because he loves it so much. Of course, he’s still a lovely, friendly-as-always little guy to us, especially at mealtime, but mostly he’s busy with his harem and with hunting. 🙂
Dear Jenna–Okay, so yours live inside with you, so they stay indoors. And of course when you take your dogs out, they’re on leashes. And when you mentioned earlier in your blog about your move to midwest–when the dogs went outside, unleashed, were they let out into a fenced yard?
Yes, we had a 1.5+ acre yard there and the dogs had the run of it whenever it pleased them. There were several neighbors nearby with large dogs running loose and one dog across the street had reportedly killed three smaller dogs in the past year so my dogs absolutely never went outside the safety of the fenced yard. Snickers is always kept leashed in the city also, for his own safety. When his instincts kick in (think chasing squirrels), he could easily run into traffic and get hit by a car so it’s my job to protect him from those threats.
I did trust him to "frolic" off leash for the afternoon recently in a large park in NJ. I was flattered and honored that he chose to stay right next to me the entire day. 🙂 But, yes, for the most part he is on a leash or inside a fence.
Mine have to be kept on leash or in a fence (or inside), too, definitely. 🙂 For dogs with such little legs, dachshunds are deceptively fast. (And when I first saw a Shiba Inu run, WOW. Such little things but when they’re in full flight, they look like they could outrun Secretariat!) When Jinx (that’s my male dog) gets out, I swear, I always wish I had a butterfly net to scoop him back up in. 🙂
Anyway, what I’m getting at in asking about the fence is, what do you think your dogs would do if they weren’t leashed or confined?
In the case of my dogs, they wouldn’t live very long if they weren’t leashed or confined. They don’t understand about crosswalks and stop lights. If I took them outside without their leashes, they would follow a scent or a squirrel in front of a car and die. They aren’t accustomed to fending for themselves and I don’t live in a rural area. It is my responsibility to protect them from the dangers of modern society.
Now, on the off chance that Snickers went out squirrel chasing and didn’t get hit by a car, I know he’d come home when he was done so he could eat salmon, stay warm and dry, and curl up in his cozy bed… basically the same reasons I come home after I’ve been out running around.
“I know he’d come home when he was done so he could eat salmon, stay warm and dry, and curl up in his cozy bed… basically the same reasons I come home after I’ve been out running around.”
That’s where we diverge in our opinions of dogs, I believe. I think we fence and confine our dogs because they’d be long gone if we didn’t. I know mine would. 🙂
The only reason dogs seem like such devoted companions is because they can’t turn the doorknob to leave.
Yours might. Mine wouldn’t. When he was a puppy, yes, but not now. But I can pretty much say the same for my daughter!
So, basically you are saying that since dogs live shorter lives than we do and might run away, loving them is unhealthy for society, regardless of the benefits we derive from our pets?
Jenna,I really don’t think this “anon” person has any point, but she seems to be just playing devil’s advocate.
And I really don’t appreciate her using the name “anon” because someone was calling me “anon” (short for anonymous) in another blog. I certainly don’t share her opinion about our dogs. I adore my shibas and I appreciate them as companion.
Diana – "Anon" is very common when someone posts anonymously. I don’t mind anonymous posters as long as they aren’t being hateful.
Sushi used to be a cityboy. We used to live in a city in Ontario. Now we are out in the country in Missouri. 5 acres, no fenced yard (in-laws home). If it were my home, it would be fenced. All the dogs in the area are loose. Luckily, most stay on their own property. Some owners use electronic fencing, but I think most dogs just seem to know their bounderies. Now, as for my dog, Sushi. I drive to a nearby park twice a day to walk him. On leash. When I take him into our yard for a quick pee, he is on leash. However, when hubby is around, we do allow him OFF leash. Sushi listens well, but what I have noticed is that he seems to need a certain amount of space to run and play, and he is ok with that. It helps, that he has 3 really good dog pals here that stay in the yard. The amount of space he seems to require and is ok with, is about the size of a baseball field. Yes, BIG, but Shibas think they are big anyway, lol. I’ve also learned to not allow Sushi to run off leash in the yard every single day. I’ve noticed if we allow it frequently, he WILL take advantage and try to go beyond the yard or our neighbour’s yard. So, usually only once or twice a week for Sushi. I think he understands the privileges given!
Bonnie & Sushis latest blog post..10 Mistakes New Pet Owners Make
because I’m on my phone I’ll be brief. Read Dr. Allen Schoen’s “Kindred Spirits”. It explains so much about the old school science and debunks a lot of things, especially on the front of animal’s abilities for emotions and their capacity to fully communicate if we are only willing to listen.
There is no doubt that companion animals are good for human souls of any age, gender, race, and social-economic backgrounds. Simply put, our pets give us UNCONDITIONAL love. We in turn can give unconditional love to them. There are no calculations, negotiations, or manipulations, but just simple love. They bring me unconditional smiles. I love their goofy antics. They enrich our lives in so many different ways, and that’s why we cannot not-have our pets even though we know their lives are brief and it may end with heart breaks.
Oh, no, I think dogs are great fun to have around, and I enjoy all my animals. 🙂
My point, I guess, is that I think it’s just a sort of man-made delusion that dogs are capable of reciprocal ‘love,’ in the way that we humans know it.
I just think unconditional love is an exercise of free will, and our companion animals are with us because we’re a food source and because we restrain them so they can’t leave.
Nothing wrong with that, but I think it becomes unhealthy when a person confuses the animal’s INABILITY to leave for the erroneous idea that the animal would CHOOSE not to leave.
For instance, Jenna, as much as you love Snickers, he’s never once tried to run when he got the chance? I could be mistaken, but I recall some time ago reading about his running away at the dog park, and you regained him only because a stranger grabbed his collar.
Given a chance, I think ALL shibas will try to run regardless of how much they like you. Shiba Inus are known to be an escape artist, very curious, and having strong instincts to chase after small animals.
Even Jenna’s Snickers could have gone squirrel hunting and never returned if it had been different place or different timing. I think it was really lucky that Snickers just turned around and let her catch him, because if there were enough temptations around (squirrels, rabbits, birds, or anything that moves), he could have been gone. Can you say if your shibas love you, they’ll never try to run? — answer is no. I don’t know about other breeds though.
I saw two escaped neighbhor dogs roaming around last year (Retriever and Lab), and because they were slow and food motivated, I was able to coax them with treats and help them return to their owners. If he was a squirrel hunting shiba inu, I probably wouldn’t have been able to catch him.
I don’t see why reciprocal love can’t be felt by animals. My dogs absolutely love me. They want to be with me all the time. It isn’t just food.
Why does it need to be all or nothing? All dogs are not the same. All humans are not the same. Sociopaths do not feel love of other humans. Some humans do incredibly evil things to other humans. I don’t think dogs are capable of the meanness that humans can be capable of.
People can also go crazy taking things to extremes. Religion, sex, eating . . . loving their dogs to the exclusion of human relationships. Anything can be taken to an unhealthy extreme.
Also, human relationships do not work out well for many humans. Perhaps for some the dog relationship does work yet is not replacing a human relationship (which wasn’t happening anyway).
One thing I have learned from both personal as well as rescue experience is that dogs are much more resilient than we are. Shibas that come into rescue absolutely mourn the loss of their families (seeing this first hand over and over is proof enough for me that dogs truly love their humans). These dogs are sad, confused, and sometimes depressed during this time. This isn’t because of a lack of food or fencing to keep them confined. This is emotion. That being said, dogs also allow themselves to love new humans in their life. They are open to it and don’t put up that wall that we humans many times do to protect themselves from being hurt again. They also don’t deny the love that the once felt just because the pain of that loss was/is great. They move forward. They live for the day.
zennias latest blog post..Brutus update
Anon – I don’t remember where/when I posted about it, but yes, when Snickers was 10 or 11 months old, he got out of the dog run in midtown. He thought we were playing a great game of chase and he ran for several blocks just out of my reach until he ran into a family leaving church. They grabbed him while I caught up. I don’t really see how that makes your point though. I wouldn’t have let my daughter run around loose at that age either – she didn’t understand the dangers any better than he did. Less than a year ago, his leash broke in the same neighborhood and he turned around and came back to me (of his own free will). Once he was close enough to grab, I dove for him, just to be sure he didn’t decide to play any games in traffic. I’m certainly not going to take any chances with his life just to see if he’s "loyal" enough to me to not run in front of a car!
Even if I subscribed to your idea that "if dogs loved us we wouldn’t need leashes," I still don’t see how that would make it true that caring for companion animals is bad for a society in general.
Honestly, I think – even though you put your once coddled doxy boy out in the yard – you are still trying to ascribe human qualities to dogs that just aren’t there. It seems to me that your argument basically is "they don’t love us like other humans and they don’t understand our world like humans, so we shouldn’t have emotions for them or include them in our lives or society."
They are animals. My dog is a dog. AND he is part of my family and an important companion. He doesn’t replace a human relationship. He doesn’t love me like a human loves. He loves me like a dog loves. He is not my child. He is not my boyfriend. He can’t drive, get a job, or go buy groceries. Much like a young child, he can’t even be trusted not to play in traffic! He can take me for long walks in the sunshine though. He can make me laugh by making me play with him. He can make me feel safe when I’m not quite sure of a situation.
I don’t require my dog to be anything other than a dog and he doesn’t require me to be anything other than a person. Just because he is not human, doesn’t make the joy he brings me and others any less real.
Monica – You are so so so right on all counts!
Zennia – I agree with you that dogs have an enormous capacity to love. (Some people (probably Anon included) might turn that around and say that loving a new "master" is proof that he never loved his first master, but I think that’s ridiculous. That would be like saying if a widow ever loved again, she never loved her deceased husband!)
Anon, I do not agree 100% with you,
but I do not disagree with you either.
It might be our delusion to believe that dogs and cats give us “reciprocal” love.
Then, I wonder why we tend to think that way.
Human beings have a capability to relate ourselves to someone else
as we evolve as animals of society.
Our abilities to figure out and understand other people’s minds
make our group-living so much easier.
And this ability does not belong only to us.
Especially other animals which have some sort of social structures
like monkeys, wolves, dolphins and elephants, they do have similar abilities
which have been observed by scientists/biologists.
As I wrote before, we are living in a highly structured society,
and because of that, our lives can be more stressful unfortunately.
And we can feel easily disconnected and isolated.
That’s why we have cats and dogs.
Like someone said before, horses can be great companions as well,
but I guess they are not for everyone because of their size.
On the other hand, we can live with dogs and cats
in our living rooms and bed rooms, and they have a perfect size to be hugged.
Then we can be easily attached to them
and tend to think they are more than just animals
who we restrain with food and walls.
What’s wrong with that?
In a way, that’s a whole point why we have animal companions.
I feel lonely without them, and I may have delusions about them
as I DO have a capability to relate myself to them.
Also having someone or some animals to give love to
can be a great sourse of comfort as well.
And I know I do not harm anyone by feeling this way.
You say you enjoy your animals,
but it seems that you feel very different from rest of us,
and I simply wonder why you do not feel the way we feel
if you really love animals
and have a capability to relate yourself to others, including animals.
Do you know Hachiko’s story?
An Akita dog who kept coming back to the station everyday for almost 10 years,
where he had seen his late owner for the last time.
Some people say that he did that because of the food he got there.
I do not agree because he always showed up at the exact same time
that he had used to greeted his owner.
If his motive was solely for food, he could go there any times of the day.
However, the truth is that nobody can be sure what’s Hachiko’s mind,
yet most of us have a tendency to believe this is the story of dog’s loyalty
because we relate ourselves to even dogs
and that’s exactly why we love to have them as companions.
I respect your point of view, everybody can feel different ways
but I do not want you to preach us
unless you have all the scientific proofs which I do not think you do.
We are perfectly happy about the way we feel about our dogs and cats
and we know this does not harm anyone or any animals.
And I think the way we feel is quite normal
because we DO have an ability to relate ourselves to others including animals,
which seems to lack in you.
And the one more thing,
Judging with how you behave here,
it seems to me that you are someone
who is so-called a “troll” in this internet world,
someone who always try to get other people’s nerve
in order to release their own stress.
If that’s the case, it is totally useless to discuss with you.
Please pardon me if I miss judge you.
blue – this may seem random, but I’ve meaning to ask you (and you reminded me by mentioning Hachiko) – are you Japanese?
jenna – Bingo, yes I am! Darn, you are too smart.
Diana – I appologize if my statement displeased you or anyone else.
Sorry!
To me it seems that anon has been trying to push the buttons.
Yet it might be a very rude comment t call someone that way.
However, I did not expect to hear that from someone who wrote
“she(anon) seems to be just playing devil’s advocate.”
“devil’s avocate” is a very strong expression, isn’t it?
I thought you “sounded” Japanese. 🙂
The term devil’s advocate really just means advocating (promoting and/or arguing for) the opposite side of a discussion whether you believe it or not. Someone can “play devil’s advocate” if no one else is taking that side or simply to make a discussion more interesting. It is not necessarily a bad thing. Other than the harshness of her first comment though, Anon really hasn’t been confrontational or abusive in sharing her views here, so I welcome her to share her reasons for feeling the way she does!
Anon,
Does your former house pet, the dashund live outside in the yard all the time now? I find it difficult to believe that this transition was not a very difficult one for him. My dogs would love a yard to play in; however, they would still want to sleep with me at night. Missy Paulette has slept with me for her entire life almost. She would be miserable in a yard at night. Often my dogs are not in bed with me when I go to sleep, but they are always in bed with me when I wake up. They are never fed in bed.
So, you realized your dog wasn’t human, but was it necessary to remove him from the house? Whose idea was it to leave the dogs in the yard? The new husband’s? If so, maybe you need to believe that the dog is incapable of caring for you, to be able to rationalize your decision to make such a drastic change in a former coddled house pet’s life. Perhaps you broke his little doggy heart and need to believe that he doesn’t have a heart so you can live with it. I say put the husband out in the yard and bring the dogs back in.
I’m pretty sure Anon re-married AFTER she realized she was using her dog as an emotional crutch, so the dog probably went outside before the new husband came into the picture. I’m not absolutely sure of that though.
Personally, I think Anon’s experience was extreme. I believe she would have found something else to bury her emotions in if her doxy hadn’t been there. Her situation was more about her own emotional issues than about animals in society in general.
Dear Blue–I learn more new terms on the internet… 🙂 I looked up ‘internet troll’ and I certainly hope I’m not coming across like that. It surely isn’t my intention to ‘push buttons’ or agitate anyone and definitely not to get on anyone’s nerves. I’m very sorry if I have. I just thought since the post was ‘Open Discussion’ anyone was free to join in, and then I was just elaborating on my viewpoints when asked. Please accept my apologies if I’ve offended you. I assure you, it was quite inadvertant. 🙂
As far as the scientific angle of dog emotions, I am certainly no expert, that’s for sure, but in college ( many, many moons ago 🙂 ), I worked in my university’s school of veterinary medicine, as the student secretary to the lead research vet. At some point, I mentioned a particular dog’s grief response to the separation from his family (the dog was abandoned by his family, and ‘donated’ to the University, and my kindly boss re-homed him). The vet said that actually, the dog wasn’t mourning the loss of the family itself, but his own separation from his social group or ‘pack’.
According to the vet, the paramount sense a dog has is scent, and this is the main lense through which a dog ‘sees’ or senses his world and environment. So when the scent of his humans (or other dogs in his pack) is gone (not the human itself but rather the SCENT of the human), his daily routine and sense of security is obliterated and he becomes confused and disoriented. He is now a lone wolf without a pack and this is extremely distressing to him, since now, ‘social hunter’ that he is, how will he get food? How will he defend himself? Will he ever be accepted by another pack?
So said the vet, the dog’s depression wasn’t like a human missing a loved one, but more akin to a human being depressed over losing his job and wondering how he’s going to pay the bills.
Dog lover, that I am, I totally dismissed that 🙂 ; the dog looked so, so mournful. But then the vet took a blanket out of a bag the family’d left for the dog and he had me lightly pat the blanket over the front of my scrubs. Then we went back into the kennel and released the dog, who went absolutely insane, jumping all over me with joy like I was the love of his life. He was responding, the vet said, not to me as an individual but to my scent, recognizing me as a fellow pack member, my actual identity and individually not mattering one bit. He said it was like our jobless human recognizing a member of his former company (not by face, but by the company logo on his ID badge, maybe; just recognizing him in some way as part of the group) and responding with glee because the member of the company might get him his old job back.
From what I understand, that’s the reason shelters and vet hospitals frequently request ‘scented’ objects from the dog’s old home. As long as they have the ‘pack scent’ he’s used to, the humans in a dog’s life–provided they’re kind to him–can come and go interchangably.
Again, nothing wrong with that at all. I’ve always been pro-dog. I think they add a lot to our lives. But like my dear old boss mused–and believe me, you’ve never met a kinder, bigger lover of all creatures, great and small, including humans, than he was :)–once while examining a dog’s eyes, and I’ve never forgotten this: “People are so beautiful. They look into a dog’s feral eyes and what do they see? Nobility, honesty, fidelity, bravery, the capacity for unconditional love. If only people knew that this [patting the dog] beautiful little animal is a wild thing, with wild ways, and that all those high virtues they see in their dog’s eyes, are really their own uniquely and wonderfully human virtues, reflected back.”
Anon,
Which came first, Anon, the man or the realization that your dog meant too much to you?
I am sorry, but I just can’t imagine a woman banishing her dog to the yard without a man being involved. I mean, think about it. Why not let the dog continue to sleep in the house? What does that have to do with anything?
Dear Monica–The realization came first, although Jinx continued to live inside with me both before I met my husband and after we married. My husband, too, is a big fan of animals. He already had one of our girl rescue doxies at the time I met him, and she was a confirmed outside dog, disliked being kept inside for any length of time. I guess I can understand why, with all that yard to explore. By comparison, the indoors are probably pretty boring to her. 🙂
Anyway, I sold my home, and Jinx and I went to live out there. I fully expected Jinx to continue to be an inside dog–and my husband was actually looking forward to having an indoor dog–but Jinx surprised me by actually deciding himself to live principally outdoors. I guess it sort of is in keeping with my boss’s view that he was, at heart, a wild thing and established his own pack, as it were, with the two females (we had our second rescue doxie by the time Jinx and I moved). He started becoming less and less interested in coming inside after playing outside all day, and these days he gets agitated if we keep him inside too long. He wants to be out hunting, or with the girls, or “patroling” the back yard. 🙂
But by no means did I or my husband banish him outside. We were both disappointed, actually, since we were hoping for a lap dog.
Really, my relationship with Jinx didn’t change much after that realization. I just stopped thinking that a dog could somehow ofter me emotional support that was equal to what either myself or another human could.
Well, that’s cool. I grew up in the country. We had no leashed or tied up dogs. We just opened the door and away they went. They usually came home. We had no issues of dogs chewing shoes or pooping on the floor, etc.
Every summer the dogs and I go to Camp Unleashed and for 3 days the dogs live off leash. They are content to stay pretty close to the cabin. And this weekend we are off to the Outer Banks where the dogs will run off leash on the beach for a week.
Now let’s talk about keeping men as companion animals. While I currently do not own this type of companion animal, in my opinion, a man should be kept in the yard for the majority of the day and night. Thoughts?
Now let’s talk about keeping men as companion animals. While I currently do not own this type of companion animal, in my opinion, a man should be kept in the yard for the majority of the day and night. Thoughts? – Monica
Great idea, Monica. Let him in only when he’s good. Keep him in short leash to make sure he doesn’t stray, and make sure he doesn’t go marking his territory. If you can train him to put down the toilet seat, that will be a plus.